The present invention generally relates to a document processing apparatus having both an editing function and a display function for a document and the like. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a document format setting method capable of readily recognizing a sequential process for setting a format or the like of the document to be formed, and also of easily setting this format.
In, for instance, a conventional wordprocessor, when a document is newly formed with a desirable format, a format setting operation of this document is carried out in the following method. That is, as a first setting method, for example, a format setting menu is displayed which offers such format setting items as size of paper, direction of paper, direction of printing, size of characters, and column indexing Then, the chosen format setting items are confirmed, and when the desired format at setting items are not offered a user selects or newly enters the desirable format setting item by way of the input device such as the keyboard for the setting operation.
As a second conventional setting method, several sorts of standard format patterns are previously prepared which are so-called "style sheet" and are used frequently, and also are displayed in a visible form. Then, the most proper format pattern is selected so as to be set.
The above-described former setting method is complicated when the desired format is not offered and the desired format setting items must be selected or newly inputted thereby increasing the total number of the setting operations. It is difficult for a beginner to judge whether or not the selected format setting item adheres to the desired format based upon only the information about this format setting item and such formatting can not be confirmed without actually printing the format. Further complicating the formatting process, there are some desirable formats that cannot be set with only one setting operation.
As to the latter setting method, the total number of available prepared formats can be so great that it is not possible to display all of these available formats on the same screen. Thus, the screen must be changed to display the available formats and the desirable format cannot be easily selected.
Then, if only the frequently utilized format patterns in frequent are displayed, quite often desired format is not present in the selected formats.